Taiwan, China on alert as powerful typhoon nears

TAIPEI, Sept 18, AFP Forecasters in Taiwan and China issued alerts on Saturday as the most powerful typhoon so far this year headed their way, churning through subtropical Pacific islands belonging to Japan.

Typhoon Fanapi was 320 kilometres (200 miles) east of Taiwan as of 5:00 pm (0900 GMT), packing gusts of up to 191 kilometres per hour, Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau reported on its website.

“Large waves have been observed along the east coast, and we advise people to avoid approaching the coastline,” the bureau said.

It also warned of a risk of mudslides in the island’s mountainous areas.

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou led a video conference with local officials, urging that measures be taken to prevent major damage from the typhoon.

Thousands of villagers were made homeless when Typhoon Morakot ravaged Taiwan last year, leaving more than 700 people dead or missing in one of the island’s worst natural disasters.

“Fanapi”, which means “small atoll islands” in Micronesian, is the 11th typhoon to hit so far this year.

“It’s likely to have made landfall by Sunday at noon,” said Hsieh Ming-chang, an official with the bureau.

As the typhoon gathered speed, the bureau issued both sea and land warnings, urging residents to take precautions.

Counties along Taiwan’s east coast, including Taitung, Yilan and Hualien, had decided to close all schools beginning from Saturday evening, the TVBS cable network reported.

Taiwan was set to experience the most serious impact on Sunday, TVBS reported, but the typhoon could linger until early Monday.

There was a possibility that all domestic flights would be cancelled Sunday, depending on the impact of the storm, said the United Evening News, a Taipei-based newspaper.

Taiwan’s defence forces were deploying armed personnel carriers for duty in case of floods and other emergencies, television footage showed.

Fishermen from the island sought safety in ports along the coast, tying their vessels together with heavy ropes to try to withstand powerful winds and waves.

Taiwan’s population is accustomed to several typhoons each year, and many people went to shops and open-air markets Saturday in accordance with routine to buy enough food for at least a couple of days.

Meanwhile, authorities in Japan warned of heavy rain, strong winds and high waves for the southern Japanese Miyako island chain, with a number of flights cancelled, although there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The typhoon was forecast to make landfall on the Chinese mainland on Sunday night or Monday morning, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said.